Monday, February 1, 2010

Small Measure Can-Do Contest, Round 8

It's the first Monday of a new month, which means one thing: another Small Measure Can-Do Giveaway. For those of you new to the contest, or to this blog, I'm staging a giveaway each month from now until the release of my book, Homemade Living: Canning & Preserving with Ashley English. Each month one lucky person will win an artfully crafted canned item featured in the book and made by yours truly.

From my pantry to yours, this month I'll be giving away a jar of Curried Winter Squash Chutney. Though winter squashes aren't technically "in season" this time of year, they are available in abundance, as these dense beauties keep quite well, curing and aging to perfection once they're harvested before the first autumn frost. I love making a Ploughman's (Plough Person's?) lunch out of this chutney, partnering it up with a wedge of sharp cheddar, some puckery pickles, several apple slices, a hunk of hearty bread, and a hard cider. And, even though I don't eat chicken, I could see it marrying well with some roasted poultry.

This chutney is the perfect foil to drab, blustery winter days-packed with spice (cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, fenugreek, coriander, mustard seed, and cumin seed!) and sweetness (raisins, currants, and apples, oh my!), it imparts warmth and inspiration, hinting at the thaw on the horizon. O-kay, maybe that's stretching it, but, it's good and hearty and robust and all of the other adjectives used to describe things that feel substantive and satisfying.

To enter: Simply leave a comment to THIS specific post by telling me your favorite way of cooking or serving or simply eating winter squash. Your comment MUST link to your particular blog or web site (and therefore to your contact information) or include your e-mail address. Otherwise, I won't be able to get in touch with you if you win! Any entries that do not include some way of getting in touch will be disqualified.

Deadline: Comments must be received by midnight EST February 15th, 2010. Odds of winning will depend on the number of eligible entries received.

Other rules:

1. You must have a mailing address in the United States of America (sorry international folks!).

2. Only one entry comment per person.

How it works: Each comment will be assigned a sequential number. The winning number will be selected from a random number generator, so there'll be no favorites, simply a game of chance.

Keep coming back each month to see what new tasty item is up for grabs!

Two favorite way to eat squash - both usually with acorn squash. Either plain baked with brown sugar and butter, or in a cream soup with a little pumpkin. I make this every year at Halloween for a sort of harvest meal, and it's the thing i look forward to the most!

My favorite way to eat squash is slicing it in half and drizzling it with melted butter and brown sugar, and then baking it until the sugar gets nice and crisp. Of course, the bad stuff (butter, sugar) is always the tastiest!!

Butternut squash baked and then topped with a lil butter and some brown sugar or maple syrup. My mom use to make this as often as she could. It brings back childhood memories! Thanks for your contests!

Butternut squash soup with roasted cashew (instead of cream) It is so good and hearty. Simply make a soup then roast and crush cashews into a mush and mix together. Thank you for the giveaway. dianasamour@gmail.com

i love winter squash! i made a 'pumpkin' marmalade in the fall and we gobbled it all up. i am looking forward to making it again. the chutney sounds amazing! i think i love eating winter squash so much because i love growing it. they are the most weird and wonderful creatures in my garden!

thank god for your give-aways! they are softening the wait for your book! (which i really just can't wait for!) :)

My most favorite winter squash dish is my most favorite dish, period. It's what I make when I need to nourish my body and soul, it's also what I make when I want to do the same for my family. Maybe they are a little tired of it - but, I'm not! Butternut squash soup - garlic, onion, jalapeno all sauteed in olive oil, then add in the peeled and chopped squash, followed by broth and/or spring water to the top, let it come to a boil, then simmer for 35 minutes. THE BEST EVER. Often, I'll make millet on the side, tossing in some fresh golden beet greens when done, then topping off with butternut squash soup!

I have an amazing recipe that combines butternut squash, onions and pear slices in a baking dish. When it's almost baked through, you add a topping of bread crumbs, romano cheese, walnuts and bacon! It's a Christmas must now, and I love it!

My favorite way to eat winter squash is in squash pie! My mother used to take our extra squash and make pies out of them. They tasted just like pumpkin pies, but did look a bit different. They were a gray color instead of orange. But they were realllllllllly good. Yummy!Anita Mwww.shantara.wordpress.comladyrings@aol.com

My winter squash -- small, round winter squash that are cut in half, baked with olive oil and salt...then stuffed with a sautee of mushrooms, prunes, a green vege of your choice...finally topped with lots of favorite spices and fresh cilantro. Can also add brown rice to the stuffing mixture if you wish.

I love to cube and roast butternut squash with olive oil, salt and black pepper. I eat some of it fresh out of the oven with rice, sauteed onion and garlic, beans and kale and sometimes roasted chicken. The rest I put in the fridge and add to soups and other meals. EliMr. E's Mysterious Bees

Love the blog!Although I will definitely be trying some of the other favorites mentioned so far ... for me simple is best. My favorite way to eat winter squash is baked with fresh butter and brown sugar (or maple syrup).

In a blender purée mixture in batches, transferring as puréed to a clean saucepan, and add enough additional water to thin soup to desired consistency.

Whisk in sour cream or crème fraîche and salt and pepper to taste and heat soup over moderately low heat until hot (do not boil).

Serve soup topped with crumbled bacon and accompaniments.

I've also made a vegetarian version. I use vegetable instead of chicken broth and I soften the onions, leeks, garlic, & bay leaf in olive oil instead of bacon fat and serve the soup with crumbled bleu cheese instead of bacon.

Whatever version I make, I serve it with a simple bread - I use the bread recipe in the little booklet that came with my kitchenaide but I mix in chopped onions, fresh rosemary and chopped kalamata olives and braid the loaf like it was challah.

About Me

Making an attempt to craft a good life with my husband and young son in a small mountain community. I find pleasure in the light at dusk, atlases, hard cider, cat antics, dog breath, baby giggles, homemade ice cream and snorty laughter.
Author of the "Homemade Living" book series (Lark Books) which showcases topics related to small-scale homesteading and some of the diverse ways people are reconnecting with their food and food communities and taking up sustainable food practices.
I also host a bi-monthly column every Friday on Design*Sponge:http://www.designspongeonline.com/category/small-measures.
E-mail me directly at: ashleyadamsenglish(at)gmail.com.

The Best LIttle Chicken Coop in Candler

"The Big Problem is nothing more or less than the sum total of countless little everyday choices, most of them made by us and most of the rest of them made in the name of our needs and desires and preferences."-Michael Pollan